Abstract

We report on the switching dynamics of a bistable device in the case when a holding power maintains the system in a stable state of the lower branch and a pulse address of finite duration (T) brings it close to the unstable state of the middle branch. For a critical pulse duration (Tc) the pulse exactly brings the device in the unstable state where it would indefinitely remain in the absence of fluctuations. For pulse duration close to Tc the device switches up to the upper branch (T>Tc) or relaxes to the initial state (T<Tc) after a lethargy time which follows a logarithmic law {1,2}.

© 1988 Optical Society of America